Rhode Island, being the smallest state in the United States has one the largest amounts of people per square mile than any other state (CITATION?). With a population of over 1 million people it is very easy to see how this can be true. This report is designed to help up and coming teachers decide if Ashaway Elementary school is the right school for them. This report may also be used by parents and future parents wondering if the town of Ashaway is an acceptable place to live and raise a family. NICE IDENT OF AUDIENCE
Ashaway Elementary School may be found at 12A Hillside Avenue, Ashaway RI 02804. Its mission statement concerning its students reads as follows: The mission of the Ashaway Elementary School as a unified community is to build a strong academic foundation, encourage an eagerness to learn, foster personal strengths, enhance positive social skills, and nurture community involvement for all our children, by providing a challenging, interactive education in a safe environment (CITATION?).
The campus of the school consists of 3 buildings. There is the original building which stands out because of its historical nature. This building was built and 1904 and still stands in its original form today. Also there is the main building and a 2 room portable class room.
Unfortunetly this school is not very enthicly diverse. This lack of ethnic diversity not only affects this school, but also can be found in the community, district, and all the other schools involved in the district. (SALT Team, DATE?) PROBABLY BELONGS IN SCHOOL SECTION. WHAT ABOUT INTRODUCING COMMUNITY?
Community Background
In Ashaway, Rhode Island the median (average) home cost is $289,900 (CITATION?). Ashaway also has the distiction of having one of the highest property tax rates in the entire state. (Sperlings, 2007)
The population of Ashaway as of 2007 is 2,998. With an average of 242 people per square mile. As previously stated, the town is not very ethnicly diverse.
95.65% White
00.83% Black
00.98% Asian
01.09% Native American
01.21% Hispanic
01.05% Other
BUT IS IT RELATIVELY DIVERSE COMPARED TO OTHER REGIONS OF STATE?
Of all the people the live in Ashaway, 60.49% are married, and 10.42% are divorced. The median age is 39.2 vs the US median age of 37.6. The per capita income of Ashaway residents is $31,153 and this includes all the adults and children living in the community. The median household income is $67,029. (Sperlings, 2007) WHY ARE YOU CONFIDENT OF THIS SOURCE? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE IT OVER THE CENSUS DATA?
The crime rate in Ashaway is exceptionaly low. For violent crime on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 10 (high crime) Ashaway rates the score of 1. A violent crime consists of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. For property crime on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 10 (high crime) Ashaway again rates a score of 1. Property crimes consist of burglary, arson, and car theft. (Sperlings, 2007)
The community of Ashaway is very involved with the elementary school. Taking a quick look at the PTO's (Parent Teacher Organization) schedule of events for the coming year, you will see that the events are split into two groups, fund-raising and family events. Ashaway elementary school stresses family involvment. There are father/son events, mother/daughter events, movie nights, ice cream social, and open houses. All of these events signify a strong family and community involvement. (Mann K., 1999)
District Summary
The State of Rhode Island has standard qualifications for all of its teachers. These standards are adopted and practiced by all of the school districts universely. All elementary and secondary teachers must have a Bachelors degree, full state certification, and must display subject matter competency by having a major or taking a series of tests. (Inforworks, DATE?)
Funding is always a question that comes up when discussing schools. Rhode Island obtains most of its funding for schools by property taxes. Ashaway, because of its small population has as previously stated some of the highest property taxes in the state. But even so Ashaway spends $7,370 per student, which is significantly above the U.S. average of $6,058 per student. HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO OTHER DISTRICTS IN STATE? Combine this fact with the student/teacher ratio of Ashaway Elementary school being about 14 students per 1 teacher, then you can see that the average student fairs pretty well in this district. (Infoworks,DATE?) IS THIS T/S RATIO HIGH OR LOW RELATIVE TO SIMILAR DISTRICTS IN STATE?
A result of good funding is the transportation question. In Ashaway and the Chariho School District they provide extensive transportation. In Ashaway they provide 5 buses which make about 105 stops every morning. This covers almost all of the students attending the school. They also make allowances for new students starting pre kindergarten or moving into the area. WHY REPORT TRANSPORTATION?
School Analysis
When researching a school now a days, the biggest question on everyone's mind is how does the school compare with others in the No Child Left Behind area. Ashaway Elementary school gives a stellar showing. In the English Language arts the schools target goal was 80.1% it hit 89.1%. In Mathmatics the schools target goal was 68.1% and it hit 83.8%. GOOD. CITATION? Now compared to the district these numbers fell a few percentage points lower than the average but the school met 9 out of 9 targets and is considered a High Performing school CITATION?.
The next question people ask is if the school is safe. There were only 7 incidents of suspension during the 2004-2005 school year. Nothing more violent than 2 acts of fighting. Only 9 days of suspension were dealt out for these incidents. What do these figures mean? They mean that Ashaway Elementary is an extremely safe school with almost no serious violence issues. (Infoworks, DATE?)
I have answered all of the other questions located in the schools portion of our contex report previously except one. UNNECESSARY What kind of extra curricular activities does this school offer? Well Ashaway Elementary school has some very unique programs. One is the Kids Grow Garden, this is a garden where vegetables are grown for the Warm Shelter. The Warm Shelter is a nearby shelter for the homeless and needy. They also have a handi-capped accessible nature trail and classroom devoted to nature studies. (Mann, K, 1999) NICE DETAIL.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the town of Ashaway is a close knit community that is open for new people and children to come in and join them. Ashaway Elementary school is a high performing school that you should be proud to work in or send your children to. If you are looking for ethnic diversity you will have to go somewhere else. But the school is safe, friendly, and comes highly rated. Anyone should be happy working or living here. GOOD CONCLUSION.
REVISION FEEDBACK: THANKS FOR INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS. I THINK THAT MOVING SOME OF THE INFORMATION AROUND IMPROVED YOUR REPORT'S ORGANIZATION, THOUGH SOME OF YOUR CUTTING AND PASTING MAKE THE REVISED SECTIONS MORE CHOPPY. (EG SCHOOL SECTION) NICE JOB - JF
Rubric
Introduction = 5 / 5 pts.
5 - Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4 - Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3 - Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2 - Intro fails to name the school, district, and community.
0 - No introduction section is apparent.
Constructive comments about report's introduction:
INTRODUCES SCHOOL BUT NOT DISTRICT/COMMUNITY.
Organization = 5/ 5 pts.
5 - Report includes an Introduction, a Conclusion, and sections for the School, District, and Community. Within each section, paragraphs logically group the information presented.
4 - Report includes all of the sections mentioned previously, but does not break down information into paragraphs within each section.
3 - Report is missing one of the sections.
2 - Report is missing more than one section.
0 - Report does not include any sections.
Mechanics = 5 / 5 pts.
5 - All information in the report is cited using APA styled- citations after the information and in a Reference section at the end of the report.
and
There are extremely few typos and misspelled words in the report.
4 - Most information is cited using APA style.
and/or
There are a noticeable number of typos or misspellings.
3 - Some citations in the References section are not in APA style, e.g. URLs are listed without the title of the website.
and/or
There are many typos, misspellings, or other writing errors.
2 - Most of the report's information is not cited, or APA style was not used.
0 - Report does not include a Reference section.
SEVERAL FACTS NOT CITED OR NOT CITED PROPERLY; SEVERAL MISPELLED WORDS.
Conclusion = 5/ 5 pts.
5 - Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4 - Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community.
3 - Conclusion does not refer back to report findings.
0 - No conclusion section is apparent.
Strengths and constructive comments about conclusion:
Creativity = 4/ 5 pts.
5 - Report is written in an engaging style.
4 - Report has some interesting sections.
3 - Report generally reports information without seemingly without purpose.
REPORT SEEMS TO BE TRYING TO ANSWER CLASS'S QUESTIONS, BUT DOES NOT TRY TO GO BEYOND THESE QUESTIONS TO BE INFORMATIVE.
Thoroughness = 8 /10 pts
5 - Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and
compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average) and
states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
4 - Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and
compares most figures with relevant values and
states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
3 - Report includes at least six different facts in each section and
compares some of the figures to other relevant figures
2 - Report includes at least four different facts in each section and
compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0 - Report includes less than four different facts for any section or
fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
Strengths and constructive comments about information contained in report:
SEVERAL OF THE FACTS WOULD BE MORE MEANINGFUL IF YOU HAD COMPARED THEM TO SIMILAR DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
Title
Ashaway Elementary School
Introduction
Rhode Island, being the smallest state in the United States has one the largest amounts of people per square mile than any other state (CITATION?). With a population of over 1 million people it is very easy to see how this can be true. This report is designed to help up and coming teachers decide if Ashaway Elementary school is the right school for them. This report may also be used by parents and future parents wondering if the town of Ashaway is an acceptable place to live and raise a family. NICE IDENT OF AUDIENCEAshaway Elementary School may be found at 12A Hillside Avenue, Ashaway RI 02804. Its mission statement concerning its students reads as follows: The mission of the Ashaway Elementary School as a unified community is to build a strong academic foundation, encourage an eagerness to learn, foster personal strengths, enhance positive social skills, and nurture community involvement for all our children, by providing a challenging, interactive education in a safe environment (CITATION?).
The campus of the school consists of 3 buildings. There is the original building which stands out because of its historical nature. This building was built and 1904 and still stands in its original form today. Also there is the main building and a 2 room portable class room.
Unfortunetly this school is not very enthicly diverse. This lack of ethnic diversity not only affects this school, but also can be found in the community, district, and all the other schools involved in the district. (SALT Team, DATE?) PROBABLY BELONGS IN SCHOOL SECTION. WHAT ABOUT INTRODUCING COMMUNITY?
Community Background
In Ashaway, Rhode Island the median (average) home cost is $289,900 (CITATION?). Ashaway also has the distiction of having one of the highest property tax rates in the entire state. (Sperlings, 2007)The population of Ashaway as of 2007 is 2,998. With an average of 242 people per square mile. As previously stated, the town is not very ethnicly diverse.
95.65% White
00.83% Black
00.98% Asian
01.09% Native American
01.21% Hispanic
01.05% Other
BUT IS IT RELATIVELY DIVERSE COMPARED TO OTHER REGIONS OF STATE?
Of all the people the live in Ashaway, 60.49% are married, and 10.42% are divorced. The median age is 39.2 vs the US median age of 37.6. The per capita income of Ashaway residents is $31,153 and this includes all the adults and children living in the community. The median household income is $67,029. (Sperlings, 2007) WHY ARE YOU CONFIDENT OF THIS SOURCE? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE IT OVER THE CENSUS DATA?
The crime rate in Ashaway is exceptionaly low. For violent crime on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 10 (high crime) Ashaway rates the score of 1. A violent crime consists of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. For property crime on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 10 (high crime) Ashaway again rates a score of 1. Property crimes consist of burglary, arson, and car theft. (Sperlings, 2007)
The community of Ashaway is very involved with the elementary school. Taking a quick look at the PTO's (Parent Teacher Organization) schedule of events for the coming year, you will see that the events are split into two groups, fund-raising and family events. Ashaway elementary school stresses family involvment. There are father/son events, mother/daughter events, movie nights, ice cream social, and open houses. All of these events signify a strong family and community involvement. (Mann K., 1999)
District Summary
The State of Rhode Island has standard qualifications for all of its teachers. These standards are adopted and practiced by all of the school districts universely. All elementary and secondary teachers must have a Bachelors degree, full state certification, and must display subject matter competency by having a major or taking a series of tests. (Inforworks, DATE?)Funding is always a question that comes up when discussing schools. Rhode Island obtains most of its funding for schools by property taxes. Ashaway, because of its small population has as previously stated some of the highest property taxes in the state. But even so Ashaway spends $7,370 per student, which is significantly above the U.S. average of $6,058 per student. HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO OTHER DISTRICTS IN STATE? Combine this fact with the student/teacher ratio of Ashaway Elementary school being about 14 students per 1 teacher, then you can see that the average student fairs pretty well in this district. (Infoworks,DATE?) IS THIS T/S RATIO HIGH OR LOW RELATIVE TO SIMILAR DISTRICTS IN STATE?
A result of good funding is the transportation question. In Ashaway and the Chariho School District they provide extensive transportation. In Ashaway they provide 5 buses which make about 105 stops every morning. This covers almost all of the students attending the school. They also make allowances for new students starting pre kindergarten or moving into the area. WHY REPORT TRANSPORTATION?
School Analysis
When researching a school now a days, the biggest question on everyone's mind is how does the school compare with others in the No Child Left Behind area. Ashaway Elementary school gives a stellar showing. In the English Language arts the schools target goal was 80.1% it hit 89.1%. In Mathmatics the schools target goal was 68.1% and it hit 83.8%. GOOD. CITATION? Now compared to the district these numbers fell a few percentage points lower than the average but the school met 9 out of 9 targets and is considered a High Performing school CITATION?.The next question people ask is if the school is safe. There were only 7 incidents of suspension during the 2004-2005 school year. Nothing more violent than 2 acts of fighting. Only 9 days of suspension were dealt out for these incidents. What do these figures mean? They mean that Ashaway Elementary is an extremely safe school with almost no serious violence issues. (Infoworks, DATE?)
I have answered all of the other questions located in the schools portion of our contex report previously except one. UNNECESSARY What kind of extra curricular activities does this school offer? Well Ashaway Elementary school has some very unique programs. One is the Kids Grow Garden, this is a garden where vegetables are grown for the Warm Shelter. The Warm Shelter is a nearby shelter for the homeless and needy. They also have a handi-capped accessible nature trail and classroom devoted to nature studies. (Mann, K, 1999) NICE DETAIL.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the town of Ashaway is a close knit community that is open for new people and children to come in and join them. Ashaway Elementary school is a high performing school that you should be proud to work in or send your children to. If you are looking for ethnic diversity you will have to go somewhere else. But the school is safe, friendly, and comes highly rated. Anyone should be happy working or living here. GOOD CONCLUSION.References
Mann, K (1999). Ashaway Elementary Home page. Retrieved October 9, 2007, from Ashaway Elementary School Web site: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/ash/Default.htmThe SALT Team, (11-30-2001). The SALT Visit Team Report. Retrieved October 9, 2007, from The SALT Visit Team Report Web site: http://www.eride.ri.gov/dataDump/00/2006-07/SaltRpts/200111_98_Asahway_Elementary.pdf
Sperlings, (2007). Sperlings Best Places. Retrieved October 9, 2007, from Sperlings Best Places Web site: http://www.bestplaces.net/zip-code/Ashaway_RI-70280400000.aspx
2007). Chariho Regional School District. Retrieved October 9, 2007, from Chariho Regional School District Web site: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/
2007). Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved October 9, 2007, from Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Web site: http://www.ridoe.net/EducatorQuality/Certification/default.aspx
2007). Information Works. Retrieved October 9, 2007, from Information Works Web site: http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/pdf/suspension/98106E-susp.pdf
Feedback for EDC 102 Context Statement
Total Score for this Evaluation: 32/35 pts
REVISION FEEDBACK: THANKS FOR INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS. I THINK THAT MOVING SOME OF THE INFORMATION AROUND IMPROVED YOUR REPORT'S ORGANIZATION, THOUGH SOME OF YOUR CUTTING AND PASTING MAKE THE REVISED SECTIONS MORE CHOPPY. (EG SCHOOL SECTION) NICE JOB - JF
Rubric
Introduction = 5 / 5 pts.
INTRODUCES SCHOOL BUT NOT DISTRICT/COMMUNITY.
Organization = 5/ 5 pts.
Mechanics = 5 / 5 pts.
and
There are extremely few typos and misspelled words in the report.
and/or
There are a noticeable number of typos or misspellings.
and/or
There are many typos, misspellings, or other writing errors.
Conclusion = 5/ 5 pts.
Creativity = 4/ 5 pts.
Thoroughness = 8 /10 pts
compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average) and
states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
compares most figures with relevant values and
states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
compares some of the figures to other relevant figures
compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
SEVERAL OF THE FACTS WOULD BE MORE MEANINGFUL IF YOU HAD COMPARED THEM TO SIMILAR DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.